Does a Lack of Conviction of Sin Prove You’re Not Saved?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Grace in Focus

Episode Title: Does a Lack of Conviction of Sin Prove You’re Not Saved?
Date: April 14, 2026
Hosts: Bob Wilkin & Sam Marr
Duration: ~13 minutes
Podcast by: Grace Evangelical Society

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Overview

This episode centers on a crucial theological question often faced by Christians: Does a lack of conviction about one’s sin imply that they are not truly saved? Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr examine this issue through the lens of Free Grace Theology, making a distinction between justification (how one is saved) and sanctification (the Christian life). Drawing on Scripture and listener questions, they challenge the idea that ongoing feelings of guilt or sorrow over sin are a prerequisite for assurance of salvation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Listener's Question and the Typical Lordship Response

[00:58]

• Listener Question: "If a believer doesn’t feel convicted of their sin, is it evidence that they are not saved?"
• This reflects a common teaching in some circles that true believers always feel deep conviction for sin.
• Sam recalls a leading Lordship pastor who told a young woman:

  “The very fact that you’re concerned about this and that you’re convicted about it shows that you’re born again.” – Bob ([01:27])

Insight

• Bob challenges both sides of the Lordship approach:
  • Non-Christians (such as Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims) can feel conviction about sin, but that doesn't mean they believe in Jesus for everlasting life.
  • Conversely, a true believer can have hardened their heart and may not feel conviction (using the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 as an example).

2. The Biblical Basis for Assurance of Salvation

[03:30]

• Bob: Assurance isn't based on our fluctuating feelings of conviction or on how much fruit we see in our lives.
• Cites John 11:25-27 — “Whoever believes in Him...has everlasting life...”
  • Jesus asks, “Do you believe this?”—not “Are you convicted of your sin?”
• The only biblical condition for eternal life is faith in Christ.

Notable Quote

“He didn’t ask her, are you convicted about your sin? He just said: Do you believe this?” – Bob ([03:13])

3. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Conviction

[03:51]

• Citing John 16:8: “The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin...” — The world includes everyone, not only believers.
• Sam clarifies difference:
  • There is a difference between the Holy Spirit convicting someone, and a person actually feeling convicted.
• Habitual sin can dull a believer's sense of conviction—doesn't mean the Spirit isn’t working.

Notable Exchange

“Everybody knows, you know, if you’re doing something wrong and you do it anyway...but if you do that thing enough times, you don’t feel bad about it anymore.” – Sam ([05:28])
“Yes, there are people who harden their hearts, but God has convicted them up until the point at which they harden their hearts.” – Bob ([05:59])

4. Assurance Is Rooted in Believing God’s Promise, Not Our Feelings

[06:56]

• True assurance rests on God’s promise (e.g., John 3:16; 1 John 5:13).
• Some mistakenly divide believers into categories: “true believers” and “false believers” depending on secondary criteria like emotions or behavior.
• 1 John 5:13: Bob nuances the translation, suggesting it implies “continue to know” or “continue to believe,” not simply “know once and for all.”
  • The assurance is ongoing as we continue to trust God’s testimony.

Notable Quotes

“The only way we can not have assurance is if we stop believing the testimony of God. And one way to stop believing...is instead of looking to Christ...look to yourself and ask: Am I really convicted of my sin?” – Bob ([10:33])

5. The Real Issue: Fellowship with God, Not Questioning Salvation

[11:38]

• Loss of conviction is an indication of poor fellowship ("walking in the dark"), not of lost salvation.
• Focusing on self-examination (am I truly saved?) is spiritually counterproductive.

“Starting to question, ‘am I even saved or not, am I even a believer or not?’ is not going to drive you closer to God; it’s probably going to drive you further away.” – Sam ([11:38])

• Living righteously comes from delighting in God’s law (Romans 7).

“We are doing what we want when we’re living righteously.” – Bob ([12:40])

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• Bob: “A person can be a Buddhist or a Hindu or a Muslim...and be convicted of their sin...That doesn’t mean they believe the promise of everlasting life.” ([01:33])
• Bob on the Prodigal Son: “He may not be convicted of his sin the whole time...when he came to his senses is when he repented.” ([02:20])
• Sam: “If you do that thing enough times, you don’t feel bad about it anymore.” ([05:28])
• Bob: “The only way we can not have assurance is if we stop believing the testimony of God.” ([10:33])
• Sam: “Starting to question, ‘am I even saved or not?’...is not going to drive you closer to God; it’s probably going to drive you further away.” ([11:38])
• Bob: “We are doing what we want when we’re living righteously.” ([12:08])

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:58 – 01:27: Listener question and framing of the Lordship response
• 03:13 – 03:30: The basis for assurance: faith in Christ, not feelings
• 03:51 – 06:55: Discussion of Holy Spirit’s role, conviction, and hardened hearts
• 06:56 – 10:33: 1 John 5:13 and biblical assurance explained; mistakes in assurance teaching
• 11:38 – 12:50: Fellowship with God vs. assurance of salvation; practical encouragement

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Conclusion

The hosts argue emphatically that a lack of ongoing conviction of sin does not prove that someone isn’t saved. Assurance rests on believing God’s promise, not fluctuating personal feelings. Persistent sin and lack of conviction damage fellowship with God but do not negate salvation for true believers. The episode champions Free Grace Theology and urges listeners to keep their focus on Christ and His promise, not on their own emotional state or performance.

Final word:

“One of the key things is to keep grace in focus. Amen.” – Bob ([12:55])

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. If you are a believer and are living in sin and you're not convicted, could this mean that you're really not saved? And how does a believer continue to have assurance of eternal salvation? Thank you friend for joining us today. This is Grace in Focus. We are a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our website is faithalone.org One thing you will find there is information about our free online seminary where you can earn an M. Div. Degree. Our next semester starts in September. Application and registration begins May 4th. So you be praying about that. We'd love to have you join us and study with us. Get all the information you [e-mail] and now with today's question and answer discussion, here is Bob Wilkin along with Sam Marr.

[B]

Alright Bob, we've got a question from Cy Simon on assurance and conviction of sin. So his question is. Lately I've been hearing that if a believer doesn't feel convicted of their sin, it is probably because they are not saved. How would you understand this? I understand John 16, 8 and I believe first John 5:13 says that we can know we have eternal life. I believe this type of teaching does away with that assurance. So how would you answer this? With Scripture?

[C]

Okay, that's a good question. And I've heard a lot of people talk about this. For example, there was a leading Lordship pastor and he was asked by a young woman how does she know she's saved because she finds herself struggling in her Christian life to live the way she wants to live. And she said, I'm very upset about this, but I don't see enough fruit to convince me I'm saved. And the Lordship speaker said, well the very fact that that you're concerned about this and that you're convicted about it shows that you're born again. Well, both sides of that equation are wrong. A person can be a Buddhist or a Hindu or a Muslim or a Roman Catholic or a Jehovah's Witness or a Latter Day Saint and be convicted of their sin. And they could be sorry for their sin and you know, they can confess their sin and everything else. That doesn't mean they believe the promise of everlasting life. On the other hand, a person who's in the spiritual far country, like the prodigal son of Luke 15 while he's in the far country, he may not be convicted of his sin the whole time. He obviously gets convicted at the start, but once he hardens his heart, he may go through a Period of time when he's not convicted of his sin. In his case, in Luke 15, it says he came to his senses and that's when he decided to return to the Father. But there was a time when he didn't come to his senses, and when he came to his senses is when he repented. So I would say point number one is this just doesn't make any sense. The way I know I'm born again according to John's Gospel is because I believe what Jesus promises. Like in John 11, 25, 27, Jesus lays out that whoever believes in him, though he may die, yet he shall shall live. That he's guaranteed to be resurrected and glorified, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. That is that the believer is guaranteed that he has everlasting life that'll never go away. And then he asked Martha if she believes this. He didn't ask her, are you convicted about your sin? He didn't say, well, here's how you know you really believe it because you're convicted. No, he just said, do you believe this? Now, our questioner, who is it? Simon?

[B]

Yep.

[C]

So he brings up John 16:8. Well, that's the reference where it says, the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. Obviously, that verse contradicts the very question that Simon is asking, because if he's convicting the world, the world is everybody. The world isn't just those who are born again, it's everybody. And so it's the same world as John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, or the world in First John 2. Two, he's the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only. That is not only for believers, but for the sins of the whole world. So, yeah, John 16:8 supports the idea that the only condition of eternal life is faith in Christ.

[B]

But there's a little confusion there that I think we need to address. Because the Holy Spirit is convicting the world. But what about a person who's hardened their heart? So if I'm an unbeliever, I am an atheist or just not open to any of these concepts. I've hardened my heart. So the Holy Spirit is convicting me, but I don't feel convicted. I think that's the two sort of separate sides of conviction that we need to analyze. Because I think what he's talking about is a person feeling sorrow or feeling like they need to stop what they're doing when they're sinning.

[C]

Okay. I think you're saying there's a difference between being convicted of my sin and feeling convicted of my sin. Is that what you're saying?

[B]

Maybe that's what I'm getting at. Because I think everybody knows, you know, if you're doing something wrong and you do it anyway, you on some level, you know you're doing it. But if you do that thing enough times, you don't feel bad about it anymore. So I think what he's talking about is someone who's sinning and they are a believer, but they don't feel bad about that sin anymore. That's what I think he's saying. Because we know from John 16:8 the Holy Spirit is convicting everybody, but not everybody is feeling that conviction.

[C]

Right. I guess what I would say is, yes, there are people who harden their hearts, but God has convicted them up until the point at which they harden their hearts. And you could even argue that God is still convicting them. Like, for example, in Romans 1, we're told that the creation reveals the truth about God and yet they suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Suppressing the truth is something that people can do. But does that mean there's no awareness that they're doing that? I don't know. I wonder. But in any case, the idea that somehow I should doubt my salvation if I don't have a certain level of upsetness about my sin, which is, I think, what this question is talking about, right? It's not that I don't recognize I'm a sinner. There's no believer. You notice this question is about a believer, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

There's no believer that's going to say, I don't recognize I'm a sinner. Well, that's not totally true. I have met a few people who believe in absolute sinless perfection. I remember once I met someone who said that she hadn't sinned in 25 years. Well, that person is an extreme minority.

[A]

It's coming. It'll be here before you know it. What am I talking about? The Grace Evangelical Society's National Conference 2026, May 18th through the 21st, at an absolutely beautiful campground in North Texas. Right on the lake, with lots of recreation, great food, a great place to stay, wonderful fellowship and wonderful free grace Bible teaching. Information and online registration [e-mail] events. First timers waive registration fees. Faithalone.org events and by the way, Simon's

[C]

question also illustrates the fact that there are many people who believe. There's two types of believers. Believers who are true believers and believers who are false believers or some kind of believer, less than a genuine believer. Like they're a miracle believer. They believe in Jesus because his miracles. Or they're a head faith believer. Right. They're not a heart faith believer, but they're a head faith believer. But the other thing is 1st John 5:13. Maybe you could read that. Sam, he's right that it does say that we can know. But I think the way he put it is slightly wrong. But go ahead and read it.

[B]

It says, these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

[C]

I would translate that differently. The new King James has the longer reading. And that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. And that's not found in the critical text, but the majority of manuscripts have that. But they supply the words continue before believe. I think they should also supply the words continue to in the first half of the verse. Now, what is the first half again?

[B]

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

[C]

I would say that you may continue to know that you have eternal life. Go back to chapter two, verses 24 and 25. He's already said in 2, 13, 15 that these are overcoming Christians, strong Christians, mature Christians. And then he says what in 24 and 25?

[B]

Therefore let that abide in you, which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he has promised us eternal life.

[C]

Notice this is the promise he has promised us eternal life. They're not doubting that promise at this point in the letter, and they're not doubting it in 5, 9, 13. The issue is. And what's the very next verse say? Doesn't it say they're trying to deceive you?

[B]

Yeah, these things I've written to you concerning those who try to deceive you,

[C]

and they're trying to deceive you concerning the promise of eternal life. And so his point is, these things I've written, that you may continue to know that you have eternal life by continuing to believe the testimony of God. 5, 9, 10, 11, 12. And so how did Simon say it? He said something that 1 John 5:13 says we can know.

[B]

Yes, says we can know we have eternal Life.

[C]

Yeah. And I would say 1 John 5, 13:13 says, we do know we have eternal life. If we accept the testimony of God, then we know we have eternal life. He who has the Son has the life. And so the only way we can not have assurance is if we stop believing the testimony of God. And one way to stop believing the testimony of God is instead of looking to Christ so that I know I have eternal life, look to yourself and ask yourself, well, let's see, am I really convicted of my sin? If you see that your life is staying pretty stagnant, or worse yet, that you're backsliding, well, then people are going to say you should question your salvation. No, your eternal destiny is based on believing the promise of John 3:16 or John 5:24. It's not based at all on you having some ongoing conviction that you're a sinner, feeling sorry for your sins, or looking at the positive things that have happened in your life.

[B]

Yeah. The issue here is fellowship with God. If you find you're at a point in your life where you're no longer convicted of sin, you don't feel sorry, you just do whatever you want, then you might be in the spiritual far country, you're no longer walking in the light, you're not walking with Christ, you're walking in the dark. And so that's the issue. But like you said, starting to question, well, am I even saved or not? Am I even a believer or not is not going to drive you closer to God. It's probably going to drive you further away.

[C]

Absolutely. And the other thing is, you mentioned doing whatever you want. I would argue that if we're walking in the light of God's Word and we see the truth of God's word, then we are doing what we want. In other words, if you read Romans 7, 13:25, Paul says, in the inner man, I delight in the law of God. In the inner man, this is what I want to do. And it's only when I take my focus off Christ and put it on the commandments that I find myself getting bogged down in sin, being enslaved to sin. So, yeah, I would love to never sin. I'm sure you would as well, and all of our listeners would as well. So we're doing what we want when we're living righteously. Well, I hope that helps, Simon and I know there's a lot more we could say, but one of the key things is to keep grace in focus. Amen.

[A]

Be our guest and subscribe to our 48 page magazine six issues per year, also called Grace in Focus by emailing your name and snail mail address to gesaithalone.org that's faithalone.org on this program. We keep our requests for financial partners to a minimum, but if you are interested in becoming a financial partner with Grace and Focus, you can find out how to do [e-mail] on our next episode, should believers be involved in litigation? Hope you'll join us again. And until then, let's keep Grace in focus. The proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.